High School Sweethearts
by Canvas.Falling
Summary: It all came crashing down five years ago when Rinoa left. Squall had buried himself in his work. But on the even on what would have been their 8th year anniversary something changes. Can they make this work once again?


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy VII, but I'm so happy it's finally getting a remaster!

* * *

The sun was barely over the horizon as Squall jogged along the road. His morning runs had become a matter of routine. He loved them, they relaxed him. The stress of Commanding Balamb Garden was starting to get to him. At twenty five years old, he had been doing this for eight years and in that time. It hadn't gotten any easier. He stopped outside the gates of Garden. Would there ever be a time that this became routine to him? That this would be something that he just did? When did he stop caring about anything else? That's right. He remembered the exact moment that anything other than Garden became irrelevant.

"_I can't do this anymore, Squall…" _

_Rinoa stood before him, like she always did. Arms crossed over her chest as she stared at him. Another long night at the office, but what was worse. He had totally forgotten that it was their anniversary and when he came home, he met a very upset and hurt Rinoa. But tonight was different, behind her, sat a suitcase. Open, with things in it. She was leaving. She had threatened that many times. But Squall had always assumed she would never do it. _

_He couldn't speak and she sighed. "I don't want to feel like I'm in second to your job." She said._

"_You knew what you signed up for." Squall said quietly. _

"_Yes, I did. When I met you, I was young and in love." She said. "It's just not enough anymore. You can't even keep your life straight. Your priorities are in the wrong place." She said. _

"_Because I don't spend every second of my time with you?" He asked. "I have to work Rin." He said._

"_You don't spend ANY time with me Squall?!" She said back. Sighing._

"_We.." He said as he tried to think of the last time they did anything together._

"_We what?" She asked. "When's the last time we went on a vacation or hell, even a fucking date, Squall?! When?" _

_He was quiet._

"_Exactly. You come home, stressed and exhausted. You grab a beer and you sit on the back porch for another three hours and work on stuff at home." She said. "If I'm lucky, you'll fuck me, and then go to sleep." _

_The way she made it sound. It sounded horrible. Even he could admit that. He sighed and moved to the fridge, grabbing that beer that she mentioned, but he set took a swig and set it on the counter. _

"_Rin, I-I'm sorry…" He said to her. "I-I wasn't thinking." He said._

"_That's just it though, you don't think, you don't talk." She sighed at him again. "Squall, it's still like I'm an outsider in your life. I've been with you for three years." She said. "I love you. But, I can't keep being on the outside of your defenses."_

"_You're not-" He started but was cut off._

"_I am." She said. "And, I've realized that it's always going to be that way. I'm gonna go. And, I'm gonna take some time to myself. I just think… I think we need a break."_

_That word. Break. It was something that he couldn't hear. He loved her. All he wanted was her. She was leaving him and he wanted her to stay._

"_Please don't go…" He said. _

"_You're not going to change."_

"_I can try."_

"_What the hell have you been trying to do for the last three fucking years, Squall?" She asked. "Garden will always consume you. I can't stay and watch that." _

_She turned and zipped up her suitcase. Grabbing it and setting it on the floor. She walked over to him and put a hand to his cheek, He didn't even realize the tears that were falling from his eyes. _

"_I had hoped to melt the ice around your heart. But, I couldn't. I love you Squall Leonhart. But I can't be what you need when I don't even know what that is." Her hand left his face and he suddenly felt cold again. All the warmth in his life left with her. _

_He heard the door slam and he fell apart. Sliding to the floor as he buried his head in his knees and cried. _

That memory replayed itself in his head, it had for the last five years. What could he have said to make her stay? That was what he had asked himself for months after she left. He had considered a drastic show of affection by quitting SeeD and going after her. But, he hadn't because he didn't even know if that was going to work. That and he hadn't known where she was going so he couldn't have chased after her even if he wanted too.

He went back into Garden. He had moved back in there after Rinoa left him. He couldn't bring himself to stay in the little apartment in Balamb that they shared. Too many memories. He walked into his apartment, took a quick shower and headed to his office. Coffee in hand.

Once he was settled behind his desk he lit a cigarette. He had smoked when he was younger but had quit, After Rinoa left him. He started back up again. He set the stick in the ashtray as he opened up his laptop, answering emails and looking over contract requests. Burying himself in work was something that he had always done when he was thinking too much. He glanced to the side, the one thing he couldn't bring himself to get rid of.

A photo sat on his desk. Himself and Rinoa, he couldn't quite remember when it was taken, but she was in his arms. In a beautiful powder blue dress and he was in his SeeD uniform, His arms were around her and they were both smiling at one another. Her hands on the both sides of his face. She had kissed him after that photo, that much he remembered.

They had been happy once, so what had happened that made it all end?

* * *

"Rin? Rinoa?"

Rinoa blinked back to reality and looked across the table. Nida was looking at her.

"Have you heard anything I said?" He asked her.

"I'm sorry." She reached out and took his hand. "My mind is elsewhere these days. I have a lot going on." She told him.

He pulled his hand from hers. She sighed and leaned back in the chair, taking a sip of her cocktail. The two had been dating for a little over a year and although it was a good relationship. It wasn't the one that she had seen herself in.

"You're thinking about Leonhart, aren't you?" He asked.

It would have been their eight year anniversary today. She always found herself thinking about him around this time. Wondering what he was doing, who he was with, if he was happy? Healthy? If he was taking care of himself.

"I'm sorry, it's just been a long day." She said back to him.

"I… I think we should see other people Rin. I'm sorry." Nida said.

Rinoa sighed, she had seen this coming a mile away. She always did honestly. She didn't know when it started. That she always saw the breakups coming but it always had to do with the same thing. Squall. The man she truly loved. The man she would never be over.

"I get it Nida. I'm, I'm sorry." She said. She didn't even fight it. She couldn't. Not when she knew that this wasn't what she wanted.

"My advice? Look Leonhart up. Figure out if you're just hoping he will come after you or if he's moved on. You'll never get into another healthy relationship if you don't find some closure with him."

With that, Nida stood up and tossed some cash on the table. "For what it's worth Rin, I really do care about you. But I can't compete with a ghost." He said. "I can't compete with Leonhart. I quit working for him for a reason." He said.

Rinoa said nothing as he turned to leave and she sighed. She understood where he was coming from. Squall was her one true love. He was 'the one', if such a thing existed. She still to this day wondered if she had been too brash in her decision to leave. She had shattered his heart. She ordered another joke and sat in the table alone. Her mind lost in what once was.

"_Squall! Come on!"_

_Rinoa grabbed his hand as they found a good spot on the second floor of garden. "It's about to start!" She said. She shivered under the wind, until she felt a jacket being placed around her shoulders. She snuggled into both its warmth and it's scent. The smell of the man she had given her heart to._

"_I told you, you should have brought a jacket." He said from behind her. He wrapped his arms around her as the fireworks started. The beautiful lights in the sky captivated her as she smiled. _

"_These are all for you, you know?" She said. "Happy promotion baby." She turned her head back in time to catch his lips with hers. The fireworks were forgotten for the moment as his kisses made her melt. They always did. Every time he kissed her, she felt like she was on fire and she wondered if that would ever go away. _

_They lay in their bed, tangled in one another limbs. Rinoa flat on her stomach and Squall behind her, placing soft kisses on her back as he laid there. Out of breath and fully satisfied. Rinoa herself pleasantly numb from the hours of love making that the two had. _

"_We should take a shower." He said._

"_Mmm...nope...legs are jelly. No walking for me." She smiled as she rolled over to face him. Squall moved so that he was beside her. Head resting against his palm. _

"_You're so beautiful." He told her._

"_And you're gorgeous." She replied. _

Rinoa sighed as she downed the rest of her drink. Moving to get up as she headed home. To her small and empty apartment in Dollet. Should she take Nida's advice and look up Squall? She wanted too. Oh god, she did. But what would she discover when she did. Would he be with someone else? Would he have moved on? Even if he hadn't. Would he be too far gone to take her back?

The thoughts alone, scared her.

* * *

"You know, This never gets old."

Squall looked at Quistis, curled underneath the sheets. Squall sat up and lit a cigarette, the sheet covering his nude bottom half. Quistis sat up behind him, he could see out of the corner of his eye her adjusting the sheet over herself as she kissed his shoulder softly.

"You know it doesn't mean anything." He told her.

"I know. I know, No strings attached." She said as she put her hair up. "Doesn't mean that it can't be fun though." She added.

"Get out." He said simply. Quistis simply laughed.

"Someone is in a mood tonight. Okay, I know when I'm not wanted." She moved out of the bed and dressed. Soon enough she leaned forward and kissed his lips. He kissed her back but barley as she pulled away and left the apartment.

He didn't remember when it started. The time he was spending with Quistis, he had always known that she was attracted to him. He had rationalized it at the time as him having needs. But, it was different. He felt nothing for Quistis, but what was worse was that he didn't feel bad for using her in the way that he was.

After she had left he sighed and got up. Getting dressed and he changed the sheets on the bed. Not wanting to sleep in the mess that the two had made together. He had just finished that when there was a knock on the door.

He glanced at the time, who the hell was here this late. He grabbed the cigarette, sticking it in his mouth as he walked to the door, opening it and his eyes widened.

On the other side was Rinoa. She looked so beautiful, five years had been good to her. She noticed that he had opened the door and she gave him a soft smile.

"Ummm...Hi, I went by our old place and found out that you moved. I figured that you moved back into Garden...Ummm...Can I come in?" She asked.

"I couldn't live there, too many memories." He told her. "Sure." He held the door open for her. When she walked in he shut the door behind her.

"You're probably wondering why I came by." She said.

"It's been five years." He said as he walked to the fridge. "Want a beer?" He asked.

"Sure." He handed it to her and she took it. Popping the top off and taking a drink. "It's our anniversary tomorrow you know. Or, it would have been." She said. "I've been doing a lot of thinking." She said.

"We're done, remember? You made sure of that." He said. "You left."

"I know. And I don't deserve to have you hear me out. But, I'm going to ask for it anyway." She said.

"Fine." He took a hit off the cigarette and then a sip of the beer.

"I see you started smoking again." She said.

"If your going to criticize my decisions, you can get the hell out right now." He spat.

"N-No, I'm sorry." She told him.

"What do you want Rinoa?" He asked. "Just spit it out."

"I was wondering… If you're with anyone." She said.

"Like, In a relationship? No." He said.

"But there is someone…." She could still read his mind, even after all of these years.

"It's just sex, it means nothing." He said.

"Who?" She asked.

"Quistis." He could have told her it was none of her buisness but for some reason he couldn't tell her that.

"That makes, She's beautiful and she's always been into you." Rinoa said.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

Rinoa didn't say anything for a long time. Finally she got up, walking over to Squall and pulling him to her. Her lips meeting his for the first time in five years and there they were again. The sparks. The fire that made her melt in his arms.

Squall must have been thrown off by the kiss but that only lasted a second as his lips moved against hers. His arms wrapping around her. He lifted her up onto the counter and settled his body between her legs. Clothing removed faster than he could have imagined.

* * *

They lay together, tangled in each other's embrace. For the first time in a long time. Squall slept peacefully. When he opened his icy blue eyes they were met with dark brown ones and a soft smile.

"I forgot how peaceful you look when you sleep." She said.

"I'm sorry, I passed out." He said.

"It's okay. I'm sure you're tired." She looked down and she got quiet. "Squall...If I asked. Would you… Take me back?" She was scared of the answer. That much he knew.

"Of course." He said softly. "I love you." He added.

"I love you too. Give me another chance, please?" She asked.

"I'm not any less busy than I was." He warned her.

"I know. But I've grown up a lot in the last five years. And, I want this. I need you." She said.

"I need you baby."

He leaned in and kissed her. And his life was once again, complete.

* * *

**A Note from Ayu: **Here it is! My first one shot! I'm so happy how it turned out! Please read and review! Thank you my loves! The image credit goes to Emeraldus on Deviant Art! It's amazing!


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